What’s better than enjoying fresh pie for dessert – or the leftovers for breakfast? Eating it for lunch and dinner, of course! Make this cherry tomato tarte tatin and you can do just that without the remorse.
You don’t need much to prepare this rustic upside-down, open-face tart: some tomatoes, a few seasonings and pastry dough. (While most tarte tatin recipes call for homemade or store-bought pâte feuilletée, I prefer to use pâte brisée. It provides the same buttery flavor but is sturdy and holds up well to juicy toppings – a big plus if you’re not serving the entrée right away.)
Tomato tarte tatin may be austere, but it is amazing. After a brief stint in the oven, the fruit filling sweetens and becomes meltingly tender, creating a nice contrast to the rich, flaky crust beneath. Bake one and you’ll see what I mean.
Recipe adapted from Manger.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- ½ egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon ice water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1⅓ pounds red and yellow cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh basil (optional, for garnish)
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and water and mix with a fork. When the ingredients start to come together, use your hands to lightly knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a large fry pan over medium heat and add the butter and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is amber colored.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Carefully transfer the filling to a 9” springform pan. Sprinkle on remaining thyme.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll it out to a 11" circle. Place it on top of the filling and tuck the dough around the tomatoes.
- Place the springform pan on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
- Remove tarte tatin from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then remove ring and place a rimmed platter on top of the tarte tatin; quickly and carefully invert. Garnish with basil, if using, and serve immediately or at room temperature.
